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Katra-Kashmir rail link to be completed by 2017
Warring Cong groups launch ‘slander’ campaign
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Census from today
Need to strengthen RTI Act: Omar
Need to harness green energy, says CM
Police on Campus
Shiv Sena (H) flays power tariff hike
Cop drowned in Chenab
Talks with employees’
leaders today
Panel demands jobs for Sikh youths
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Jammu youth attacked in Australia
Jammu, May 14 Lt-Col Rajinder Singh (retd), who lives alone in Nanak Nagar here after the death of his wife a few years ago, doesn’t know where his children can be safe. For the moment, he wants his other son, Ripponjit Singh, and daughter-in-law Sucheta out of Australia. Last evening, a group of five Australian youths abused and beat up Ripponjit Singh at a railway station in New South Wales. Revealing this to The Tribune here today, his father said he could not say whether it was a racist attack, but the attackers seemed to have no other motive as they did not try to loot him. He said Rippon had no enmity with anyone to the best of his knowledge. “We thought Australia was a safe country and our children can have better future there, but now I want him to return as his course will be complete in three months,” he said. This is the second such attack on Rippon, while his wife, Sucheta, who belongs to Ludhiana, was mugged a few months ago. Rippon was also stabbed in the upper back in Australia about nine months ago. He was attacked just after he disembarked the train at about 7 p.m. He was surrounded and beaten with a bat and kicked. The attackers ran away when some persons, including some Australians and Indians, came to his rescue. Ripponjit, who is studying in the final year of Masters in Information Technology, suffered multiple fractures on his left arm, besides injuries all over the body. The victim’s father wants the Indian Embassy in Australia to take action. “I am sure they must be doing their job and I hope they would take care of Rippon and other Indians in Australia,” he added. |
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Katra-Kashmir rail link to be completed by 2017
Jammu, May 14 This was disclosed by Shalinder Kumar Budhlakoti, General Manager of the Northern Railways, who was on a two-day visit to Jammu to assess the progress of the ongoing projects in this region. “Extending railway lines up to Kashmir is a difficult task due to the topography of the areas, but we are hopeful that this project to connect Katra with Qazigund would be completely by the end of 2017,” Kumar said while interacting with mediapersons. When his attention was drawn towards delay in completion of stretch between Udhampur and Katra, he said work on this track would be completed by the end of 2011. He said most of the projects had already been completed and work on the remaining was going on. It is pertinent to mention here that work on the Udhampur-Katra rail section, which was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2005, was stalled following a “technical snag” at a tunnel near Udhampur. After hiring an Austrian expert, the Railway authorities have restarted work on this track to rectify the snag. The General Manager, Northern Railways, said work on double lining of the track between Jammu and Jalandhar would be completed by the end of June this year. “Double track from Jalandhar to Madhopur has been completed from the Punjab side and from Jammu to Vijaypur from this side,” he said, adding that work on Vijaypur to Madhopur would be completed within a month. He said after double lining of the track, problem of traffic congestion of this route would be removed. He admitted that providing security was the biggest challenge before the authorities. “Keeping in view the prevailing situation in the state, we will take help from the local police in providing security to the railway track in the Kashmir valley and some other parts of the state,” he said. Later at Udhampur, the General Manager faced anger of the people who were not happy with the facilities being provided at the railway station. The situation took an ugly turn when representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries levelled allegations against some railway
officers, and the General Manager strongly objected to their charges. |
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Warring Cong groups launch ‘slander’ campaign
Jammu, May 14 Earlier, the vicious campaign against each other was confined only to party’s platform, but now both the groups have been availing opportunities during public functions to expose “misdeeds” of their rivals. Infighting in the Congress has taken an ugly turn as party leaders did not even hesitate to indulge in character assassinations of their leaders. The pro-Soz faction has been targeting Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and Roads and Buildings (R&B) Minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, who have been considered as loyalists of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. The faction, which owns loyalty towards the PCC chief, has launched personal attack on the Deputy Chief Minister and circulated some documents among mediapersons to expose his “misdeeds”. As the Deputy Chief Minister is heading the anti-Soz faction, the leaders close to the PCC chief have intensified attack on Tara Chand and levelled serious allegations on him. Similarly, the pro-Soz faction has also been targeting the R&B Minister to expose bungling in his departments. To put their rivals on defense, this faction has also distributed some documents to the leaders of opposition parties and asked them to take up such issues in public. The Soz detractors have also kicked off personal attack on some party ministers in the coalition government. The faction did not even spared the PCC chief and issued a press statement against him in which serious allegations were levelled on him. Though name of Soz was not mentioned in the statement, which was jointly issued by dissident leaders, it is an open secret that
their target was only the PCC chief. The anti-Soz faction has deputed Congress Seva Dal - one of the frontal organisations of the party - to expose party ministers in the public. Leaders of the Seva Dal are especially targeting those party ministers who are loyalists of Soz. Seva Dal leader BS Sambyal’s recent utterance against some party ministers was part of the game plan to put rivals on defensive. Sources in the party said a delegation of the All-India Mahila Congress, which visited the summer capital of the state, met with both factions of the party to bring peace, but nothing concrete emerged. Efforts of the party high command to iron out differences among warring factions have so far failed, and in the days to come these are likely to be intensified. |
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Tribune Impact
Jammu, May 14 Karan has been living on a flickering hope, as his family has been unable to meet operative and post-operative care expenses due to financial constraints. The Tribune had highlighted Karan’s plight recently. SAHYOG has also written to the Deputy Commissioner, who is the district chairman of the Red Cross Society, for financial assistance, besides appealing to the civil society at large. Founder president of the organisation Ashvini Jojra has been putting in all efforts to save Karan’s life and has launched a concerted campaign. “After the media coverage people have started offering help. Sikhs from Canada have offered Rs 1.5 lakh. Similarly, locals are also offering monetary help. This way we have been able to collect Rs 3 lakh,” said Jojra. “Now, the biggest hindrance is that if we spend money on surgery, we will we left with no money for Karan’s post-operative care,” he said. “Karan’s home is in a shabby state. The patient after renal transplantation has to be kept in a spick and span room,” he added. “We have requested many surgeons in Jalandhar and Delhi, but no one is ready to give concession,” he said. “Our organisation has approached the Satya Sain Baba Seva Sansthan, Bangalore, for free of cost surgery at its hospital and the state president of the sansthan, Shiv Kumar Sharma, has assured of making most of the arrangements for the surgery,” he added. Jojra said, “After the boy gets well, SAHYOG will start sensitising people, especially poor, about renal diseases, besides motivating them to go for early detection of the diseases. The head of the Nephrology Department, Dr SK Bali, said Karan had been suffering from glomerulonephritis in which kidneys swell. “Apart from acute renal failure because of spontaneous body fluid loss, infection, blood loss, injury trauma, snakebite, where recovery chances are more, the chronic renal disease is slow in progress and quite elusive,” he said. “It is caused by diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension, renal stone, analgesic or pain killer drugs,” Dr Bali said. “The symptoms include vomiting, lesser hunger, swelling in mouth, hands and feet, decrease in haemoglobin, general body pain and pain in bones,” he added. “Usually, patients come to the doctor in the final stage of the disease. During the initial stages they approach unqualified doctors and by the time they reach us kidneys are already knocked out,” Dr Bali said. He said every month as many as 400 renal patients visit the GMCH, Jammu, and dialysis was done in 200 to 300 cases. “Karan can stay in the hospital as long as the family wants,” he added. |
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Tribune Impact
Jammu, May 14 On April 1, The Tribune in its columns had reported “Ex-CRPF officer humiliated by the force” “Denied retired service certificate even after 18 months”. He got the certificate recently. Pangotra visited The Tribune office in Jammu yesterday and expressed his gratitude, besides conveying thanks to the authorities concerned. However, his grievance over discrepancy in the settlement of his pension still remains. “My monthly pension was affected from January 2009 at the rate of Rs 15,451 per month up to April 2009, though I retired on October 31, 2008. Thereupon, from May 2009 onwards my pension was reduced to Rs 11,841 per month,” he said and expressed hope that this grievance would also be resolved soon. |
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Census from today
Jammu, May 14 According to the District Census Officer, Udhampur, NI Parae, all enumerators and supervisors have been well acquainted with their assignment of house listing commencing from May 15 and will conclude on June 30, 2010. Necessary census material has also been provided to the enumerators. With the organisation of the training camps and the distribution of material, the enumeration agency has been kept in the state of readiness and to start operations from tomorrow. The enumerators and the supervisors have been advised to proceed to the field from tomorrow. Training has also been imparted to additional 87 enumerators and 19 supervisors to cope with the emergency situations that may rise in view of the non-performance of census duty by regular enumerators and supervisors due to health and other reasons. |
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Need to strengthen RTI Act: Omar
He told The Tribune a lot needed to be done to make the RTI Act successful in the state. “I really wanted Wajahat Habibullah to be the Information Commissioner of the state. However, the Centre could not relive him. So, now we need to find a suitable person for that position,” Omar said. On corruption, Omar said he had strived to provide transparent and clean governance to people and the empowerment of the Panchayati Raj system would bring governance to the grass-roots level. Omar expressed hope that the initiation of dialogue with Pakistan would help in resolving the long-pending dispute between the two countries, which was imperative to bring peace in the state. “There is a direct impact of Indo-Pak relations on my state. So it is good for us that the two countries discuss the issues and resolve them,” Omar said. Asked what happened to the much-hyped “quiet diplomacy” that was initiated between a group of separatists and the Union Home Ministry, Omar said: “Quiet diplomacy went quiet after the separatists were summoned to the Pakistan Embassy. However, we advocate that such talks must go on and these should be away from the hype of media.” On stone throwing incidents, he said: “There is a nexus between some business houses, which have links across the border, separatists and a political party, which instigates youths to throw stones. The problem is restricted to only few areas and we would control them.” Omar said when some persons were arrested in south Kashmir for stone throwing, the president of a local political party called the SP of the area to release them as the arrested were ‘their people’. Asked about the progress on the surrender and rehabilitation policy proposed by the state government, Omar said: “The policy is in its final stages, and we will soon be sending the proposal to the Centre for its approval.” He said the policy would be a big step forward as a confidence-building measure in the minds of the people of Kashmir. Checks and balances were being incorporated to check that “mischievous elements” did not take advantage of the policy. |
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Need to harness green energy, says CM
Srinagar, May 14 “The assistance and funds coming from the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy headed by Farooq Abdullah should be taken advantage of,” he said. He asked the PDD and Science and Technology departments to fine tune their functioning with the MNRE to best utilise the available financial and technical aid for the
purpose. Omar and Farooq inspected the renovation work on the old Ganderbal Hydroelectric Project for which the MNRE is providing Rs 10 crore to the state. Renovation would boost the power generation from the project from current 3 MW to 9 MW, an official spokesman said. The Chief Minister and the Union minister were also briefed about the new Ganderbal Hydro Project, which is a multipurpose project to provide drinking water and irrigation facilities, besides generating 93 MW of hydropower. Omar and Farroq also inaugurated a solar-wind hybrid energy system for the subdistrict hospital, Ganderbal. The system sanctioned by the MNRE would provide electricity to the theatre and emergency block of
the hospital. The facility had been created at a cost of Rs 18.75 lakh with a generation capacity of 8.8 KW. It was stated on the occasion that under the solar-wind hybrid system, the PHC, Narbal, SDH, Akhnoor, SDH, Sunderbani and the SDH, Banihal, were also being covered at a cost of Rs 80 lakh. Later they visited the Athawato Power Project in Bandipora district. The project is the first of its kind in the IPP model with a generating capacity of 10 MW. The project is currently generating 7.5 MW. They also inspected various sections of the power house and interacted with the engineers operating
the project. Farooq said his ministry could extend support to Jammu and Kashmir for launching micro and small hydel projects of the capacity of two to 25 MW to generate power in far-flung and rural villages to electrify these areas locally and provide energy for small economic ventures. |
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Police on Campus
Jammu, May 14 Irked over the police deployment on the campus, the students and the scholars had been protesting under the banner of the Student Scholars’ Committee Against Police Post (SSCAPP), which comprises various student organisation, including the Jammu University Research Scholars Executive Association, Progressive Students’ Association, People’s Democratic Students Front and the Student Scholar Joint Action Committee. The protesting students demonstrated in front of the gate for half and hour and disrupted traffic on the main road. Later, they dispersed peacefully. Addressing the protesters, student leaders and executive members of the association threatened to intensify the struggle if the police was not withdrawn from the campus. |
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Poor students given stationery
Jammu, May 14 Addressing
mediapersons, Ashok Verma, president of the organisation, said the workers were always ready to donate blood to the
needy. Verma said they would hold blood donation camps on May 23 and June 2. “The blood units collected will be donated to children suffering from
Thalassemia,” he said. Verma further said on May 23 the blood donation camp would be conducted at the SMGS Hospital while on June 2 the camp would be organised at
Kathua, in which besides voluntary donors, police personnel would also take part. |
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Save the girl child
Jammu, May 14 The rally was led by city president of the organisation Ranbir Jamwal. Principal of the school Uma Katal, besides national secretary of the brigade Narendar Verma were present on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Verma said the organisation gave a reward of Rs 5,100 to the person who helped in the arrest of people involved in female infanticide or foeticide. |
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Shiv Sena (H) flays power tariff hike
Jammu, May 14 Kohli further said to hide its misdeeds, the Power Development Department (PDD) had been trying to victimise genuine consumers who had been regularly paying their bills. He said the PDD had failed to stop power pilferage and to cover up the failure of the department concerned, genuine consumers were forced to pay more. |
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Cop drowned in Chenab
Jammu, May 14 Riyaz, a constable of the 16 Battalion of the Indian Reserve Police (IRP), was under training at the Police Training Centre, Talwara. The centre is situated on the bank of the Chenab river, 7 km from Reasi town. According to the police, Riyaz along with other trainees had gone for a bath in the Chenab river, where he slipped into the deep waters and washed away with strong currents. His colleagues tried to rescue him, but to no avail. Later, the body of the deceased was recovered about 1 km away from the spot. |
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5 hurt in Srinagar grenade attack
Srinagar, May 14 Five persons, including three personnel of 44 Bn
CRPF, were injured in the grenade attack on a CRPF picket in the Saraf Kadal locality near MR Gunj in downtown around 4.30 pm today. The grenade thrown towards the CRPF picket exploded during the clashes between stone throwing youths and the security forces in the area after the Friday prayers. The clashes took place during the ‘peaceful demonstrations’ called by Syed Ali Geelani’s APHC against alleged human rights violations and death sentence to three persons in the Lajpat Nagar blast case of 1996. Groups of protesting youths also held demonstrations in parts of Ganderbal district, near here. Several others were injured in the clashes with the police in Sopore and Baramulla towns. |
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Talks with employees’
leaders today
Srinagar, May 14 The subcommittee held its last meeting with representatives of the employees in Jammu on April 29.Tomorrow’s meeting will be held with a view to taking the process of dialogue further , an official spokesman said. According to the spokesman, the Cabinet which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was briefed by the subcommittee about its discussions on April 29 with the representatives of the employees.It was advised to hold further discussions with the employees’ leaders, he added. This would be the first such meeting after the Durbar move. A 12-day-long strike by 4.5 lakh employees across the state was called off on April 14 following assurances from the government. Omar Abdullah earlier this week had said the government was committed to addressing the genuine grievances of the employees. |
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Panel demands jobs for Sikh youths
Srinagar, May 14 In a notice submitted to the government, Jagmohan Singh Raina, coordinator of the committee, alleged that the migrant population belonging to the Sikh and Muslim communities in the valley was being ignored under the schemes. He added that several families of both communities had migrated from the rural areas to the urban centres in the valley in the wake of violence. But the employment schemes were announced with the condition that only those who resided in villages could be considered for the schemes, Raina said. In other words, all those who migrated within the Kashmir valley from their respective villages due to disturbed and hostile conditions stood automatically excluded as they were no longer residents of the villages, he lamented. Raina held that such people had opted for only temporary migration, even though their land, orchards, houses, etc were untouched back home and that it was only for security reasons in the face of the imposition of the Disturbed Area Act that they decided to move out. These people were feeling unsafe at their respective places leading to the temporary migration, he added. The Sikh leader pointed out that state and Central governments accommodated Kashmiri Pandits, who, in spite of their migration from the valley, were considered eligible for appointment to various posts irrespective of the consideration of residence. |
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Srinagar, May 14